When you hang your hat on denying the results of the 2020 election and supporting various other conspiracy theories you place your business on tenuous legal grounds. It’s big business, of course, to try to appeal to people who simply can’t accept reality, but it leads to all sorts of problems.
Fox News famously supported conspiracy theories that suggested that Dominion Voting’s voting machines were compromised leading to Joe Biden beating Donald Trump. That was a much-repeated line of thinking on the right-wing news network, and eventually, Fox News agreed that it was making false statements and agreed to pay Dominion $787 million.
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That was about half of the $1.6 billion the voting machine company had sued for, but it was a huge victory as Fox News had to admit that it was pushing lies.
“Fox has admitted to telling lies about Dominion that caused enormous damage to my company, our employees, and the customers that we serve. Nothing can ever make up for that. Throughout this process, we have sought accountability,” Dominion CEO John Poulos said. “Truthful reporting in the media is essential to our democracy.”
The Dominion ruling was followed by former Trump campaign lawyer Rudy Giulianifiling for bankruptcy after he was found to have defamed two Georgia election workers.
Basically, the courts have found that it’s not okay to push conspiracy theories that defame real people and businesses. That has pushed another popular right-wing media site to file for bankruptcy.
Trump has supported conspiracy theories but has so far escaped legal consequences.
Image source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Right-wing media site files Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Gateway Pundit has been a popular right-wing media site pushing a pro-Trump agenda while questioning the Covid vaccine and Biden’s general competency.
“The site was established for readers tired of limited options and a politicized establishment media,” Gateway Pundit shares in its About Us section. “In 2011, the website moved to its current location as www.thegatewaypundit.com. TGP’s audience grew rapidly and added additional writers to the staff. Today over 2.5 million unique readers every day visit TGP. The Gateway Pundit is ranked as one of the top 100 websites in America, based on Semrush rankings.”
TGP has a section called, “The American Gulag,” where it shows visitors “how to help the prisoners of the protest on January 6th.”
“Nearly 1,000 people have been arrested in connection with the events of Jan. 6, 2021. This website provides current information about each one, including relevant news articles, an arrest map, and list of those currently incarcerated. We also provide ways for you to contact those in prison, and to help cover their legal and living expenses,” the site shared.
TGP now faces multiple lawsuits regarding false claims about the 2020 election. That, according to the company, has forced it to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Gateway Pundit remains defiant
The Gateway Pundit founder Jim Hoft has been very vocal that the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing is not his company backing off from any of the conspiracy theories it has openly supported.
“This is not an admission of fault or culpability. This is a common tool for reorganization and to consolidate litigation when attacks are coming from all sides. It allows TGP to consolidate this lawfare in one court for ultimate resolution,” Hoft said in a statement on Gateway Pundit.
He, of course, blames his company’s financial problems on political forced seeking to silence The Gateway Pundit.
“Despite the radical left’s efforts to silence The Gateway Pundit through censorship, de-platforming, de-banking, cut-off from advertisers, and other financial strategies, we will not be deterred from our mission of remaining fearless and being one of the most trusted independent media outlets in America today. We do not expect that to change,” he added.
